The holiday days were peaceful—so peaceful they bordered on dull.
Shinichi had nothing to do but train every day. Hisagi Shūhei often came to spar with him, only to lose time and again. Though he kept saying he didn't want to fight Shinichi anymore, the number of matches certainly didn't decrease.
[Reiatsu Level: Lv. 14]
[Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 7%]
[Reiryoku Capacity: 20%]
Progress through self-training alone wasn't efficient. It had taken him half a year just to raise one level.
Still, if he could consistently gain one level every six months, he wouldn't be in a rush. He'd reach the cap in a few decades.
But back when he first started, he could level up in just a few days.
It only got harder from here.
Just as the tedious break was coming to an end, Shinichi was finally summoned by the Spiritual Arts Academy's upper management.
It was Nanada Hidezawa himself who came to get him and led him straight to the headmaster's office.
Nanada didn't say much along the way. He simply glanced at Shinichi from time to time with a strange look in his eyes—perhaps because he himself didn't know what was going on, only that he'd been told to bring Shinichi.
"Go on in. The headmaster is waiting for you."
After a knock, a powerful voice came from within. "Enter."
Shinichi pushed open the door.
There was more than one person inside. With a single sweep of his eyes, he recognized most of them. The headmaster, of course—he gave a speech at the start of every academic year. But the others—
Captain Shiba Isshin of the Tenth Division.
Captain Ukitake Jūshirō of the Thirteenth Division, along with his Vice-Captain, Shiba Kaien.
And one more: a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious noble robes. He wore neither the shihakushō of a Shinigami nor a captain's haori. His expression was stern, or perhaps cold—it was clear he was a nobleman.
This wasn't a small gathering.
Calm and composed, Shinichi stepped forward and offered a proper bow to everyone present.
"You're Tachikawa Shinichi?" It was Shiba Isshin who spoke first. He looked somewhat friendly, his gaze scanning Shinichi with great interest.
"Tachikawa-kun," the headmaster, Shakubō Kyōsō, addressed him next.
"You probably know why you've been summoned."
Shinichi paused before answering, "It's about the student council, isn't it?"
Shakubō Kyōsō was an elderly man with white hair, dressed in loose robes, with an aura of authority rather than kindness.
"When did you come up with this idea?"
"A year ago."
"Why?"
"I noticed that the teachers had to handle a lot of trivial and administrative work themselves. Each class had a class leader, yes—but there's only so much one or two people can do. That's when the idea came to me."
"That's all?" the headmaster asked. "But your proposal was quite detailed. It looks like you're ready to implement it immediately."
Shinichi replied, "Once I had the idea, I naturally wanted to act on it. I spent the past year refining it. If all of you find it feasible, that would save a lot of trial and error. And it fits the very goal—easing the burden on the faculty."
Of course, he knew the headmaster was asking something deeper.
But that was all Shinichi could say.
The student council would undoubtedly bring more benefit than harm. No matter how others might view it, they couldn't deny it would significantly reduce the workload for the academy's staff.
And for the students who served in the council, it would provide valuable leadership and real-world experience that would benefit them after graduation.
A structure that helped both the school and its students—there was no reason to reject it.
Everyone present had reviewed Shinichi's file. A commoner born in the Zaraki District of all places—surviving that was an achievement in itself.
The Seireitei had long turned a blind eye to that region—only sending Shinigami there when Hollows stirred up trouble.
"You've prepared well," the headmaster said—whether referring to Shinichi's proposal or something else remained unclear.
Shinichi's grades were more than enough to graduate. And yet, he'd stayed. Instead of reporting his idea to any teacher, he'd brought it directly to Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien of the Thirteenth Division.
Shakubō had only learned about it through Captain Ukitake.
Not long after, he was summoned to a meeting of Central 46, where a full session had been held on this very issue—and passed by majority vote.
The fact that the headmaster hadn't even known about it beforehand had been deeply frustrating. He'd questioned Nanada Hidezawa afterward, who was just as stunned.
That's when Shakubō realized—this Tachikawa Shinichi wasn't just any student. He clearly understood how the upper echelons of Soul Society worked.
Among those gathered, Captain Shiba had asked to attend of his own volition. The nobleman was a current member of Central 46, and a scion of the Kasumioji Clan.
"Do you have any thoughts on recruitment criteria for the student council?" asked the headmaster.
This hadn't been covered in Shinichi's document—nor had the council's internal rules.
Shinichi replied, "We'll select the best candidates from each batch of students. There will be interviews. Grades are secondary—we'll focus on whether they demonstrate leadership and organizational skills—"
"No."
He was cut off.
The one who spoke was the nobleman.
"Academic performance must be the primary metric. If a student can't even maintain basic grades, how can they possibly serve as a capable Shinigami?"
Shinichi chose not to argue.
Shakubō said, "We'll draft an official selection policy, along with the council's bylaws and roles."
"One last question."
"Tachikawa Shinichi, do you want to serve as the first student council president?"
That was clearly his objective.
Shakubō saw through him. This kid had taken a long detour—approaching the vice-captain and then the captain of the Thirteenth—just for this.
During the Central 46 session, both Ukitake and Shiba Isshin had strongly advocated for Shinichi to serve as the inaugural president.
If he had gone through official school channels instead, he never would've gotten the position.
Fortunately, aside from a few minor attendance issues, Shinichi's record was spotless. His talent had already been proven beyond question.
Ukitake might not be of noble birth, but he had held a captain's position for centuries—and had once trained under the Captain-Commander himself.
Shiba Isshin hailed from a great family, and everyone knew Shiba Kaien's talents.
This boy…
Under the varied gazes of those around him, Shinichi didn't waver. Instead, he smiled confidently.
"I have full confidence that I can handle the role."